using tunnels on kick drum

[J.B.Horns]

I've heard of people using tunnels when recording kick drum.
What are some of the techniques, and what do you achieve by doing so?

[Al]

The tunnel helps isolate the kick drum from the rest of the kit.
Common methods use a dynamic close up to the kick, with a large diaphram condenser mic around 2 feet back, blend to taste...you could try any combination of mics though.

Al

[J.B.Horns]

What are some techniques for creating the tunnel?

[Al]

Some people just use something like a big folded blanket, and make it like a tent/tunnel at the end of the drum, another one, if you have two identical bass drums, you can join these together.

[andrew embassy]

do you close off the tunnel end?

[nickB]

I've had good results using an old kick drum shell (which I subsequently removed all of the hardware from- hate to hear old springloaded lugs moving around on kick drum track) and covered both kick drums with heavy packing blankets. It also extends the low end of the drum (in some cases). I have also seen someone use anvil case lids-keyboards...longer and that worked quite well also. Helps keep my lead foot out of the overheads as much....unfortunately I really need to put the heavy packing blankets on my head, engineers always seem to be able to hear my headphones bleeding into overheads and room mics because I monitor too freakin loud!

[axial]

there is also the d112 close to the beater and a pzm a few feet ahead on the ground, or pzm inside and a LDC a few feet out. ahhh and yes, packing blankets so good for so many things!

[JohnDavisNYC]

ummm...

unfortunately I really need to put the heavy packing blankets on my head, engineers always seem to be able to hear my headphones bleeding into overheads and room mics because I monitor too freakin loud!

you should probably stop engineering now if your hearing is that damaged. buy some hearing protection and get a hearing test... cans that loud is just plain stupid.

j

[assfortress]

hey john, this is matt-the extra from the I am electric session.

I use couch cusions and put a blanket over the top of that. I saw it somewhere, i dont remember where. The mic at the end of the tunnel usually adds a lot of the lower frequencies. And of course the mic inside or closer to the drum gets the attack. It always sounds good to me.

Matt.